Illegal immigration, raw milk and motherhood. Only in the GOP platform

Texas Republicans, in a nod to the importance of the Hispanic vote, toned down the rhetoric in their party platform on illegal immigration.

The section now says upwards of 11 million “undocumented individuals” (no longer are they called “illegals”) came to and remain in this country under differing circumstances and their mass deportation “would neither be equitable nor practical.”

The platform blames “the decades-long failure of the federal government to secure our borders and address the immigration issue.”

“We seek common ground to develop and advance a conservative, market- and law-baed approach to our nation’s immigration issues,” says the platform, with steps including an “effective and efficient temporary worker program.”

In a related area, the platform on bilingual education encourages non-English-speaking- students to transition to English within three years. The platform previously said there should be no bilingual education after year three.

Despite softening the previous platform’s tougher language, however, the platform still calls for limiting citizenship-by-birth to those born to U.S citizens, denying welfare benefits to those who cannot prove citizenship and encouraging legislation to prohibit public-school enrollment by “non-citizens unlawfully present in our nation.”

In addition, it opposes affirmative action, calls for the repeal of the Voting Rights Act and supports English as the official language of Texas and the United States. It supports having citizenship noted on driver licenses.

The platform’s immigration section was the subject of debate that culminated in an intense session late Friday night before its approval. Some early on voiced concern that it was a move toward amnesty, and some said it moved toward liberal territory.

Supporters said it’s a common-sense move

“The Republican Party of Texas has stepped to the fore in leading a realistic approach to solving America’s immigration problem. Due to our vast border, it is our responsibility to lead a compassionate and humane resolution to this important issue,” said delegate Fermin Ortiz, Llano County Republican Party chairman.

Supporters also said it would help the party appeal to Hispanics whom they believe have a natural home in the GOP but are put off by immigration rhetoric.

Delegate James B. Cardle of Lakeway, publisher of the Texas Insider, said the section was developed after a coalition of Latinos worked “to make the platform some would say more Hispanic-friendly, but really what it is, is more Texas-friendly, to encourage hardworking citizens to be able to be productive citizens without all the extracurricular baggage that we hear in the debate.”

Cardle called the section “a constructive, people-friendly” one.

“Republicans need to continue to work on engaging with all voters, particularly Hispanics,” he said.

Among other items, the platform gets into the politics of the speaker’s race by calling for Republican House members to determine their candidate by secret ballot after the November election and that they vote “as a unified body.” The vote will be by the House in 2013.

House Speaker Joe Straus, who initially secured his job with Democrats’ support, has been targeted by Republicans who think he’s not conservative enough. State Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, is challenging him and has a strong convention presence.

The platform also opposes affirmative action and supports:
–Voter ID
–English as the official language
–Defining marriage as “a God ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman.”
–Motherhood
–Abolishing property taxes and shifting to a consumption-based tax while reducing the overall tax burden
–Access to raw milk
–Repealing the minimum wage law

It also says that party candidates should indicate their positions on platform planks before their acceptance on the ticket and such information should be on the party Web site – an acknowledgement of a hard truth for those who care about the platform.

“Clearly these people feel strongly about it,” said convention-goer and former gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, noting delegates’ late-night meeting. “And yet most of our candidates never even bother to read the thing.”